Hoover Roars Back to Defeat Prattville 48-23
PRATTVILLE, AL – In a stunning turn of events, the Hoover Bucs overcame a significant early deficit to secure a decisive 48-23 victory over the Prattville Lions in a key Class 7A, Region 3 matchup Friday night at Stanley Jensen Stadium. After falling behind by 20 points in the second quarter due to costly mistakes, head coach Chip English’s Bucs mounted an impressive comeback, dominating the remainder of the contest.
Prattville capitalizing on Hoover’s early errors. The Lion defense made the first major play when they recovered a fumble by Hoover quarterback Kaleb Freeman, returning it 52 yards for the opening touchdown. The lead grew when Tristin Blackmon pushed across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown run, extending Prattville’s advantage to 13-0. The Lions’ defense struck again when Cash Boerigter intercepted an errant pass from Freeman and returned it 77 yards for another score, stunning the visitors and building a 20-0 lead.
That’s when the momentum shifted dramatically. The Bucs, now 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the region, found their rhythm and began to systematically dismantle the Prattville lead. The comeback was sparked by a 20-yard touchdown run from Paxton Weatherly. Soon after, Freeman connected with Jeremiah Tabb for a 53-yard touchdown pass, quickly cutting the deficit to 20-14 and igniting the Hoover sideline.
Prattville managed to add to their score with a 46-yard field goal by Hayden Fann, but it would be their final points of the night. From there, it was all Hoover.
A Second-Half Explosion for Hoover Football
The second half belonged entirely to the Bucs, who showcased their offensive firepower with a series of explosive plays. Quarterback Kaleb Freeman took control of the game, first scoring on a 23-yard touchdown run and then adding another from 3 yards out.
Freeman wasn’t done. He later launched a deep pass to Jeremiah Tabb, who outran the defense for a 74-yard touchdown, his second of the night. The scoring onslaught continued with an 11-yard touchdown run by Jonah Winston, followed by a 7-yard rushing score from JR Mosley to seal the road victory.
Standout Performances
Several players delivered exceptional performances that were crucial to the outcome.
Hoover Bucs
- Kaleb Freeman (QB): The quarterback bounced back from his early struggles to have a masterful game. He completed 16 of his 26 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He also proved to be a dual-threat, rushing 7 times for 44 yards and two additional scores.
- Jeremiah Tabb (WR): Tabb was Freeman’s favorite target, hauling in 7 receptions for an incredible 174 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-changing 74-yarder.
- JR Mosley (RB): Mosley led the ground attack, carrying the ball 11 times for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Prattville Lions
- Andre Brown (QB): Prattville’s quarterback was 19-of-30 passing for 179 yards.
- Tristin Blackmon (RB): Blackmon was the team’s leading rusher with 18 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Looking Ahead
Following this crucial region win, the Bucs will travel to Birmingham next Friday to face the Class 6A No. 1 ranked Parker Thundering Herd (4-1, 2-0). Meanwhile, Prattville (3-2, 2-1) will have a bye week to regroup before they travel to take on the Vestavia Hills Rebels (3-2, 1-2) at Thompson Reynolds Stadium on October 3rd.
